Over the years, BTS has faced discrimination and hate, even from fellow public figures and celebrities. Here are 9 individuals who sparked controversy for disrespecting the K-pop group:
1. Joe Budden
This American media personality and former rapper ignited backlash after claiming to hate BTS without reason. His heated remarks landed him in hot water with BTS’s fanbase, ARMY. Rather than apologizing, Budden doubled down and dismissed the fans’ outrage.
2. Liam Payne
The former One Direction member faced criticism for allegedly downplaying BTS’s success. Payne stated that K-Pop groups have “kind of reignited” the popularity of boy bands and girl groups, but notably failed to mention BTS by name.
3. Logan Paul
The YouTuber received backlash after comments made on his IMPAULSIVE podcast. Paul claimed One Direction was the “biggest boy band of all time,” minimizing BTS’s achievements. He also made controversial remarks about BTS and his former bandmate Zayn Malik.
4. Tucker Carlson
The American TV host allegedly disrespected BTS on his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, following the group’s visit to The White House. BTS met with President Joe Biden to discuss racial discrimination and anti-Asian hate crimes. ARMY called out Carlson for his remarks and emphasized the importance of BTS’s involvement.
5. Andy Biggs
The American politician faced accusations of shading BTS’s White House visit. Following the press briefing, Biggs tweeted an opinion that fans deemed disrespectful. ARMY pointed out that BTS didn’t travel across the world to do Biggs’ job for him.
6. The hosts of Mi Barrio
This Chilean comedy TV show sparked outrage for making racist and xenophobic jokes about BTS. During a skit, the hosts compared BTS members to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and mocked the Korean language with gibberish. Fans used the hashtag #ElRacismoNoEsComedia to demand an apology.
7. Mehrad Hidden
The Iranian rapper faced accusations of plagiarizing BTS’s shield logo and insulting the group with racist and homophobic jokes. Hidden initially responded to the plagiarism claims via Instagram stories. After intense backlash from ARMY, he deleted his original Instagram post.
8. Matthias Matuschik
The German radio host from BAYERN 3 compared BTS to COVID-19 while on air. Both ARMY and an action group against anti-Asian discrimination in Germany called out the situation on Twitter. Matuschik responded with snarky replies, further fueling the controversy.
9. Jimmy Kimmel
The late-night host has repeatedly come under fire for making BTS the butt of his jokes. Kimmel faced backlash for comparing “BTS fever” to COVID-19 and allegedly shading the group during a monologue about the Omicron variant.
Fans accused Kimmel of racism and xenophobia on Twitter, criticizing his “comedy” approach.
